Author: David Great

The nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or were announced on Wednesday, highlighting a strong presence from England and Spain, with six English stars and several players from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad and Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning team making the list. Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior is among the frontrunners after an impressive season with Real Madrid, where he helped secure both La Liga and Champions League titles. He is joined by five Real Madrid teammates: Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rudiger, and Fede Valverde. Kylian Mbappe, who recently transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid, is also a top…

Four people were killed and at least nine were injured Wednesday in a shooting at a high school outside of Atlanta where students ran to seek safety in the football stadium, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Shots were fired Wednesday morning, and officers swarmed the campus of Apalachee High School as parents raced to find out if their children were safe at the school in Winder, Georgia. A suspect was in custody, authorities said. It was not immediately clear if the shooter was a student at the school. “What you see behind us is an evil thing,” Barrow County…

At least 31 persons have been confirmed dead during the recent flood disaster which ravaged 21 local government areas of Kano State. Similarly, no fewer than 280 people were affected and 5,280 houses were destroyed by the flood disaster. The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Isyaku Kubarachi disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday. According to him, the disaster had also led to the destruction of a total of 2, 518 farmlands, covering 976 hectares of land. Kubarachi explained that the heavy rainfall, which caused the flood, was particularly severe and resulted in 135 people sustaining…

Turkish champions Galatasaray have confirmed the remarkable transfer of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen on loan for the remainder of the season. The 24-time Super Lig champions confirmed that they would be paying the Nigeria star a salary of six million euros for the 2024/25 season. Osimhen arrived in Istanbul in the early hours of Wednesday morning to put the finishing touches on a deal, days after proposed moves to Chelsea and Al Ahli failed to materialise. With most European transfer windows closing at the end of August, Osimhen had to remain at Napoli but was left out of the squad…

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, on Tuesday, cleared the former Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Wale Adedayo, to participate in the party’s primaries for chairmanship aspirants scheduled for Saturday This was disclosed in a statement made available to journalists by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Afolabi Orekoya on Wednesday. Orekoya said, “Hundreds of aspirants from the 236 Wards and 20 Local Governments of Ogun State obtained the party’s nomination forms and were screened for eligibility to contest in the Local Government Elections coming up in November. “Among the aspirants screened at the Party Secretariat in Abeokuta was the…

Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins have been ruled out of England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures, the Football Association said on Tuesday. After assessment both Palmer and Watkins have returned to their clubs to continue their rehabilitation from ongoing issues, the FA added after the squad reported to St George’s Park. The 24-year-old Foden who was called up by interim England boss Lee Carsley did not report through illness and has been ruled out of the games. England travel to Dublin to take on Ireland on Sept. 7 before hosting Finland at Wembley three days later.

Leicester City have won an appeal against a decision that could have led to a points deduction for an alleged breach of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules, the club said on Tuesday. Leicester, who are back in the top flight after winning the Championship last season, appealed on the basis that an independent commission ruling on the case did not have jurisdiction, which was upheld by an independent appeal board. The decision came on the grounds that Leicester’s accounting period ended on June 30, 2023, when the club was no longer a member of the Premier League following…

In a robust operation aimed at curbing the illegal sale of petroleum products, the Lagos State Taskforce apprehended six individuals on Monday for their involvement in hawking petrol at exorbitant prices. The suspects were arrested during a sweeping operation that covered key areas of the city, including Fadeyi, Maryland, Charity Bus Stop, and Airport Road. The Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, who led the operation, stated that the ongoing fuel scarcity should not be an excuse for criminal activities. “The current fuel scarcity is no excuse for miscreants to exploit Lagosians by purchasing large quantities of…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Mansur Muhtar, OFR, as the Chairman of the Bank of Industry Limited, entrusting him with the leadership of one of Nigeria’s most critical financial institutions. In a statement released by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in Dr. Muhtar’s leadership. Muhtar’s extensive experience in finance, public service, and international development makes him a fitting choice to steer the Bank of Industry towards its mandate of driving economic growth and job creation in the country. Muhtar brings decades of expertise to his new…

President Bola Tinubu commiserated with the Yar’Adua family on Monday about the demise of Dada Yar’Adua. Hajiya Dada Yar’Adua was the mother of former President Umaru Yar’Adua and General Shehu Yar’Adua. The matriarch of the Yar’Adua family died on Monday, the president’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement. President Tinubu also extended his condolences to Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, the people of Katsina, and others. “The president mourns Hajiya Dada, yet extols her legacy of compassion, faith, honesty, and good fellowship. “President Tinubu prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased and affirms that the matriarch of the Yar’Adua…